Cammeyer Vibrante Zither Banjo with Original Case - Commission Sale **SOLD**

£999.00
Instrument Setup
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Fit Railroad Spikes
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Very Rare and completely restored 1925 Cammeyer Vibrante 5 String Zither Banjo made by Alfred D Cammeyer. Considered to be the Rolls Royce of the Zither banjo. This particular Vibrante has been tastefully restored and plays very well. Made in walnut and features original vellum head (signed Arthur J Windsor inside), restored original machine heads and hand finished by UK master luthier Steve Agnew in a classy nitro cellulose finish. Rare chance to own a piece of history from the early golden years of the banjo. Serial No 5020 208 (official build date Jan 9th 1925). Also stamped Alfred D Cammeyer on the bottom of the neck. See more details and images below

Full description

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Description

This rare Cammeyer Vibrante has been professionally restored including

  • Meticulously reglueing Walnut resonator inlaid decorative star
  • Detailed new faux tortoise shell binding on top and bottom of pot
  • Top tension hoop and internal 'S' brackets replated in Nickel
  • Original vellum cleaned
  • Original maple bridge cleaned and lightly sanded, slots re-cut
  • Fret edges redressed
  • Bone nut cleaned and lightly sanded, slots re-cut
  • Neck and pot sanded and refinished by master Luthier Steve Agnew based in Scotland
  • ( Including 3 coats of sanding sealer, four coats of Morrels low hydrocarbon 90% sheen cellulose lacquer, all brushed using a French mop. Each coat then rubbed down using micromesh, final burnish with 0000 wire wool and buffed with silk!)
  • Machine heads completely stripped in an ultrasonic cleaner with cotton buds then reassembled and polished.
  • MOP inlays re-detailed black to bring out the design
  • All fixing screws are completely original
  • Includes original top tension spanner

More details and photos of the restoration are available 

Countless hours have been spent on this fine restoration. The banjo holds its tuning, has a good action and plays very well. Fitted with Eagle Puretone 5 string banjo lights(9,11,13,21,9 loop ended Nickel wound)

Perfect addition to a classic instrument collection or to play and enjoy

More information about Alfred D Cammeyer


Alfred D Cammeyer was born in Long Island in 1861 at the start of the Civil War. He was the son of Harry Cammeyer, a Wholesale Grocer in Brooklyn and Annie who came from England.

Alfred came to England some time after 1880 and before 1900. In 1880 he was working for his father and by 1900 he had been in partnership with Clifford Essex and had taken over Essex's workshops in Soho when the partnership ended. He is known for producing Zither Banjos (Vibrante and Vibrante Royal) although later he made tenor and plectrum banjos as well.

Cammeyer retired in 1939 but the production of banjos continued through his designer Sidney Young until 1963. The later banjos do not carry Cammeyer's signature - only those between 1900 and 1939 otherwise the instruments were the same. Cammeyer died in 1949.

Specification

Banjo Type
5 String Banjo
Number of Strings
5 String

Other

Right or Left Handed
Right Handed

Used Status

Availability
SOLD
Used Instrument
Used

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